Virtio and ARM Team to Release the First Virtual Platform Development Kit for ARM Integrator

Delivering a flexible software model for early software development

CAMPBELL, Calif. & CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- March 11, 2002--Virtio Corporation and ARM (LSE: ARM); the industry's leading provider of 16/32-bit embedded RISC processor solutions, today announced the release of the VPAI Virtual Platform and Platform Development Kit model of the ARM Integrator Platform offering development teams a unique environment to rapidly configure an ARM development platform to support early software development and integration. The VPAI Virtual Platform offers development teams a complete model of hardware before the physical hardware exists.

The Platform Development Kit (PDK) provides users with the base ARM Integrator platform, a library of peripherals and Virtio's virtual prototyping environment. The development kit makes it easy for users to extend and modify a platform using both Virtio and ARM's growing library of peripheral models and also provides a powerful environment for users to define their own proprietary models and stubs in C or C++. For software developers, Virtio offers a lower cost option, the VPAI Virtual Platform which connects ADS 1.2 (ARM Development System) to deliver complete control and visibility of both software and hardware. The Virtual Platform provides software developers with the base ARM Integrator and the ability to add, integrate and debug their software. A typical development team would work with 1 to 2 platform development kits to configure the hardware and multiple virtual platforms for use by the software developers.

"This announcement is an exciting milestone for our partnership with ARM," said Shay Ben-Chorin, president and CEO, Virtio. "It is our first ARM-based virtual platform and development kit and sets a new standard for embedded software development by providing early access to a complete software model of hardware capable of booting operating systems and running application software. Software developers now do not need to wait for real hardware to integrate and test their code."

"As embedded system software reaches new levels of complexity, ARM continues to focus on improving software development and hardware/software integration environments for ARM core-based systems," said Duncan Bryan, EDA Partnership Program Manager for ARM.

"Virtio's VPAI Platform Development Kit offers a powerful, easy-to-use environment for the creation of a virtual platform to enable early software development and integration," said Navin Varsani, ARM Business Development Director for Virtio. "This new virtual software development environment provides the next leap in application software development on complete, high-performance, virtual models. A software developer does not even have to wait for RTL before commencing software development. Virtio provides a simple to use graphical environment, including testbench generation, that greatly simplifies extension of the ARMulator Instruction Set Simulator."

VPAI Virtual Platform and Platform Development Kit

Availability

VPAI Platform Development Kit VPDK-VPAISTD-PCNL and VPAI Virtual Platform VVP-VPAISTD-PCNL will be available from March 11th 2002.

Pricing

VPAI Platform Development Kit and the VPAI Virtual Platform are available on subscription at $9,990 and $3,990 per seat per annum respectively.

About ARM

ARM is the industry's leading provider of 16/32-bit embedded RISC microprocessor solutions. The company licenses its high-performance, low-cost, power-efficient RISC processors, peripherals, and system-chip designs to leading international electronics companies. ARM also provides comprehensive support required in developing a complete system. ARM's microprocessor cores are rapidly becoming the volume RISC standard in such markets as portable communications, hand-held computing, multimedia digital consumer and embedded solutions.

About Virtio

Virtio speeds the creation and distribution of software models of embedded systems for early software development. These software models, called virtual platforms, shorten the design cycle through early software development, improve product quality with early HW/SW integration and promote design collaboration via on-line access and easy electronic distribution. Virtio is based in Campbell, California in the U.S.A with development centers at Campbell and the Alba Centre, Livingston, Scotland. Additional information about Virtio is available at www.virtio.com.

Note to Editors: ARM is a registered trademark of ARM Limited. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders. "ARM" is used to represent ARM Holdings plc (LSE:ARM and Nasdaq:ARMHY); its operating company ARM Limited; and the regional subsidiaries ARM, INC.; ARM KK; ARM Korea Ltd.; ARM, Taiwan; and ARM France SAS.

Virtio is a trademark of Virtio. All other brand or product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and should be treated as such.

Contact:
     KJ Communications, Inc. for Virtio
     Kella Knack, 650-508-0371
     Kjcomk@cs.com
            or
     Virtio Corp.
     Larry Melling, 408/341-0844 ext. 328
     larry@virtio.com
            or
     The Townsend Agency for ARM
     Kelly Foster, 858/457-4888 ext 143
     kfoster@townsendagency.com
            or
     ARM Ltd.
     Michelle Spencer, +44 1628 427780
     michelle.spencer@arm.com